This whole thing with Wattpad changing it's policy finally made me wanna post this because I think it will remain relevant for a while...
As someone who grew up in a very different fandom space and didn't speak any English until like 2019 I feel very strongly about how purity culture and cancel culture had fundamentally changed the way we see art and artists. I've been struggling with thoughts about my art or my stances being wrong and problematic for a while and I think this is a problem many people have.
That urge to conform and be seen as "one of the good ones", that fear of being "called out" or "cancelled" is not healthy or right in any way. People should not be afraid of joining fan projects or making friends because of dolls they play with.
And so if you (general) have been struggling with thoughts like this I want to hold your hand and say that what actually matters is that You know yourself.
Your art - no matter what it's about, what kind of filthy, violent, romantisizing, weird, put any word here that you're tired of labeling yourself as, it is - deserves to exist. It's allowed to exist. You are not a bad person because you create things others disagree with or dislike or find disgusting.
If you know you've never had any intention of causing damage or harm - you are not an apologist, a predator or a terrible person.
You are just human. Humans are complex, our brains are complex and can find odd things exciting or arousig. And that's fine. Totally fine. Scientifically proven to be*
And you know what the best part is? If you think you did harm someone, if you realize what you were doing went against your beliefs and values -you can still change, you can still grow. And other people can too.
Don't let Twitter brainwash you - art depicting immoral, uncomfortable, complex things deserves to exist and we are more than just the things we used to do.
Now go post that freaky art/fic you've been hyper-fixating on. You've got this
*unless it brings you significant distress, affects your daily functioning, relationships etc
